I’m looking to compile current resources (studies and such) on Covid and long covid, so they’re all in one place and I can have the information on hand when ppl argue that covid isn’t a thing anymore, or that it’s just a flu. If you have any good resources pls send them my way!!! Ill create a master doc or something with everything so other ppl can have it too

random question unrelated to the rest of my blog:

I've never had a symptomatic COVID infection. Over the entire course of the pandemic, I've had two or three mild colds and tested negative each time. I haven't been extremely cautious either, I just seem to have some resistance to the virus. (I have taken all available vaccines but haven't been masking lately, which I know is a bad idea -- I will probably start tomorrow.)

Since like 99%+ of Americans have tested positive at least once, I think that there might be something interesting going on with my physiology, and I'd love to participate in a study about it. Are there any labs trying to find COVID-free volunteers for medical research right now? I could be a control-group patient in a study about Long COVID, or it could be something more direct about immune resistance. Bonus points for research in Illinois.

The reason for the extreme fatigue associated with long covid has been discovered by Dutch scientists.

Turns out the mitochondria (energy centres) in the muscles are not working properly and muscle tissue wastes away.

I sincerely hope this will be a step towards something that can actually help people with long covid and definitely the stigma attached to it.

Several years after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, researchers still face plenty of unanswered questions. For example, we know COVID is associated with a variety of neurological symptoms, both short- and long-term, but it still isn’t entirely clear whether these cognitive issues are the result of the virus directly infecting brain cells or simply due to a broader systemic inflammatory response.

Studies looking at human brain tissue have yielded contradictory results. Some have found direct traces of SARS-CoV-2, while others report only inflammatory damage. Animal models certainly demonstrate it is possible for the virus to infect the brain, but human tissue samples are obviously taken after a patient dies, meaning researchers can only hypothesize what happens during an acute infection.

In a new study, led by scientists from Institut Pasteur and Université Paris Cité, an animal model was used to investigate several questions yet to be resolved. How could the SARS-CoV-2 virus enter the brain through the olfactory system? Are different SARS-CoV-2 variants more or less likely to enter the brain? And is losing one’s sense of smell directly linked to the virus entering the brain?

Using a hamster model, the research compared infection with the original SARS-CoV-2 virus from 2020 to several subsequent variants including Gamma, Delta and Omicron/BA.1 variants. Interestingly, the findings confirmed epidemiological observations showing acute disease severity is reduced in Omicron infections, however, all variants demonstrated similar neuroinvasive capabilities. And most strikingly, all variants infected the brain’s olfactory regions regardless of whether symptoms of anosmia (loss of sense of smell) were present or not.

"This suggests that anosmia and neuronal infection are two unrelated phenomena," says first author Guilherme Dias de Melo. "If we follow this line of reasoning, it is quite possible that even an asymptomatic – and therefore clinically benign – infection is characterized by the spread of the virus in the nervous system."

To study exactly how SARS-CoV-2 could infect brain cells the researchers utilized a modeling system called microfluidic cell culture. This allowed a close-up look at how the virus could move from neuron to neuron. The findings revealed the virus was able to travel between neurons via tiny projections between the cells called axons.

"The virus seems to effectively exploit the physiological mechanisms of the neuron to move in both directions,” explained Dias de Melo. “The SARS-CoV-2 variants we studied – the ancestral Wuhan variant, Gamma, Delta and Omicron/BA.1 – infect neurons in vitro and are capable of moving along axons."

The researchers conclude this suggests all SARS-CoV-2 variants have the capacity to infect the brain, via the olfactory pathway, regardless of clinical disease presentations. This means it is possible even mild infections can lead to the virus infiltrating the brain.

Hervé Bourhy, another author on the study, says future work will need to explore the relationship between acute SARS-CoV-2 brain infections and persistent symptoms seen in long COVID.

"The next step will be to understand, from the animal model, whether the virus is able to persist in the brain beyond the acute phase of infection, and whether the presence of the virus can induce persistent inflammation and the symptoms described in cases of long COVID, such as anxiety, depression and brain fog,” said Bourhy.

The new study was published in Nature Communications.

“What I thought was a basic heads-up about the next wave, unexpectedly struck a nerve. The story went as viral as an Omicron subvariant. It sparked enormous and often rancourous debate in social media.”  

"A team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a real-time air monitor that can detect any of the SARS-CoV-2 virus variants that are present in a room in about 5 minutes.

The proof-of-concept device was created by researchers from the McKelvey School of Engineering and the School of Medicine at Washington University...

The results are contained in a July 10 publication in Nature Communications that provides details about how the technology works.

The device holds promise as a breakthrough that - when commercially available - could be used in hospitals and health care facilities, schools, congregate living quarters, and other public places to help detect not only the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but other respiratory virus aerosol such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well.

“There is nothing at the moment that tells us how safe a room is,” Cirrito said, in the university’s news release. “If you are in a room with 100 people, you don’t want to find out five days later whether you could be sick or not. The idea with this device is that you can know essentially in real time, or every 5 minutes, if there is a live virus in the air.”

How It Works

The team combined expertise in biosensing with knowhow in designing instruments that measure the toxicity of air. The resulting device is an air sampler that operates based on what’s called “wet cyclone technology.” Air is sucked into the sampler at very high speeds and is then mixed centrifugally with a fluid containing a nanobody that recognizes the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. That fluid, which lines the walls of the sampler, creates a surface vortex that traps the virus aerosols. The wet cyclone sampler has a pump that collects the fluid and sends it to the biosensor for detection of the virus using electrochemistry.

The success of the instrument is linked to the extremely high velocity it generates - the monitor has a flow rate of about 1,000 liters per minute - allowing it to sample a much larger volume of air over a 5-minute collection period than what is possible with currently available commercial samplers. It’s also compact - about one foot wide and 10 inches tall - and lights up when a virus is detected, alerting users to increase airflow or circulation in the room.

Testing the Monitor

To test the monitor, the team placed it in the apartments of two Covid-positive patients. The real-time air samples from the bedrooms were then compared with air samples collected from a virus-free control room. The device detected the RNA of the virus in the air samples from the bedrooms but did not detect any in the control air samples.

In laboratory experiments that aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 into a room-sized chamber, the wet cyclone and biosensor were able to detect varying levels of airborne virus concentrations after only a few minutes of sampling, according to the study.

“We are starting with SARS-CoV-2, but there are plans to also measure influenza, RSV, rhinovirus and other top pathogens that routinely infect people,” Cirrito said. “In a hospital setting, the monitor could be used to measure for staph or strep, which cause all kinds of complications for patients. This could really have a major impact on people’s health.”

The Washington University team is now working to commercialize the air quality monitor."

-via Forbes, July 11, 2023

-

Holy shit. I know it's still early in the technology and more testing will inevitably be needed but holy shit.

Literally, if it bears out, this could revolutionize medicine. And maybe let immunocompromised people fucking go places again

Also, for those who don't know, Nature Communications is a very prestigious scientific journal that focuses on Pretty Big Deal research. Their review process is incredibly rigorous. This is an absolutely HUGE credibility boost to this research and prototype

The deeply moralist tone that a lot of discussions about media representation take on here are primarily neoliberal before they are anything else. Like the shouting matches people get into about “purity culture” “pro/anti” etc nonsense (even if I think it’s true that some people have a deeply christian worldview about what art ought to say and represent about the world) are downstream of the basic neoliberal assumption that we can and must educate the public by being consumers in a market. “Bad representation” is often framed as a writer’s/developer’s/director’s/etc’s failure to properly educate their audience, or to educate them the wrong way with bad information about the world (which will compel their audience to act, behave, internalise or otherwise believe these bad representations about some social issue). Likewise, to “consume” or give money to a piece of media with Bad Representation is to legitimate and make stronger these bad representations in the world, an act which will cause more people to believe or internalise bad things about themselves or other people. And at the heart of both of those claims is, again, the assumption that mass public education should be undertaken by artists in a private market, who are responsible for creating moral fables and political allegories that they will instil in their audiences by selling it to them. These conversations often become pure nonsense if you don’t accept that the moral and political education of the world should be directed by like, studio executives or tv actors or authors on twitter. There is no horizon of possibility being imagined beyond purchasing, as an individual consumer in a market, your way into good beliefs about the world, instilled in you by Media Product 

Hand Sanitizer Market Forecast Report by Market Research Universe

Hand Sanitizer Market Size, Competitive Analysis, Forecast-2027

Global Hand Sanitizer Market Size By Product [Foam, Gel, Spray, Others], By Distribution Channel [Departmental Store, Online Store, Pharmacy Store, Others], By End-user [Restaurants, Hospitals, Schools, Household, Others], By Region [North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America], Forecast & Opportunities, 2020-2027

Market Overview

Global Hand Sanitizer Market is expected to reach around US$ 3 Billion by 2027 due to increasing health concerns. Growing awareness of hygiene among consumers and the spread of new dangerous viruses and diseases are driving the growth of the Hand Sanitizers market globally. Therefore consumer's inclination towards health and awareness, improvement in the standard of living, rising awareness about hand hygiene are the key factors creating demand for the hand sanitizer market globally.

The recent pandemic of COVID -19 has caused worldwide supply shortages of hand sanitizers due to sudden surge of demand by general public. As Hand sanitizers are seen as the best way to prevent infections, governments across the world are easing permissions to ramp up the production. The pandemic has increased the awareness of hygiene standards among consumers which is a major factor driving the growth of the market. Therefore, consumer's inclination towards health and awareness, spread of new dangerous viruses and diseases, improvement in the standard of living, rising awareness about hand hygiene are the key factors creating demand for the hand sanitizer market globally.

Hand Sanitizers are antiseptic solutions which are used as an alternative to soap and water. It is primarily used to prevent transmission of infection through hands. Hand sanitizers are highly effective in killing germs and microorganisms. The active component in the hand sanitizers is alcohol.

Market Segmentation

Global Hand Sanitizer Market can be segmented into Product, Distribution Channel, End User, and Region. 

By Product, Global Hand Sanitizer Market can be segmented into Foam, Gel, Spray, Others. The gel-based hand sanitizer segment holds the largest market share as it is effective and takes less time to eradicate germs. Foam based hand sanitizer segment is expected to grow significantly during the forecasted period of 2020-27 as it is more convenient to use than other types.  

By Distribution Channel, Global Hand Sanitizer Market can be segmented into Departmental Store, Online Store, Pharmacy Store, Others. The Departmental store segment holds the largest market share owing to a large distribution chain and attractive discounts offered by vendors. The online segment is expected to grow significantly in the coming years due to increasing e-commerce websites and rapid internet penetration.

By End-user, Global Hand Sanitizer Market can be segmented into Restaurants, Hospitals, Schools, Household, Others. The hospitals segment accounts for the largest market share as a large number of hand sanitizers are used by Doctors, Patients and staffs in hospitals to prevent infections.

By Region, Global Hand Sanitizer Market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America.

Regional Analysis

Regionally, North America Hand Sanitizer Market dominates the global market due to the high hygienic standards of the population in the US.

Asia Pacific Hand Sanitizer Market is expected to grow significantly during the forecasted period of 2020-27 due to increasing health and hygiene awareness among people. Moreover, improving per capita income and standards of living is expected to contribute to the growth of the Hand Sanitizer Market in this region.  

Competitor Analysis

The key players in the global hand sanitizer market are The Himalaya Drug Company, Reckitt Benckiser Group, Procter and Gamble, Henkel Corporation, Gojo Industry Inc., Unilever, Chattem Inc., Vi-Jon Laboratories Inc., Best Sanitizers Inc., and Kutol Products Company. 

Research Methodology

Extensive secondary research was conducted using paid data sources including Bloomberg, Factiva, Capital IQ, OneSource, and Hoovers. Additionally, several publicly-available data sources were used including journals, statistics articles, and industry associations. These data sources were used to gather relevant information to develop an understanding of the global hand sanitizer market. The research was conducted covering the desk research and primary research. Data sources used for primary research included online forums and blogs, CATI/CAWI, CAPI interviews, and video conferences. Additionally, interviews were conducted through connecting with various industry respondents including C-level executives, directors, divisional heads, regional heads, expert consultants, and independent consultants. The primary research was conducted to gain market insights from industry respondents and validate the gathered information through desk research.

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"As part of the study , the researchers - led by Dr Nick Reynolds from the Institute for Molecular Science at Melbourne's La Trobe University - used computer algorithms to identify small fragments of proteins ( called peptides ) in SARS - CoV - 2 .

Reynolds and his colleagues could then study these peptides in the lab , observing they had formed clumps , mirroring amyloid plaques found in the brain in the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia . "

What we saw is that they formed very similar amyloid clumps , which are basically just ordered assemblies of protein that are stuck together and considered ' molecular hallmarks ' of the early stages of neurodegenerative disease , " he said .

" To cut a long story short , these amyloid plaques are very toxic to the brain cells and we hypothesise that aggregates of SARS - CoV - 2 proteins may trigger neurological symptoms in COVID - 19 that many of us call brain fog . "

If this is confirmed in future studies , Reynolds believes drugs developed to combat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's could be repurposed to revolutionise treatment for the debilitating neurological symptoms of long COVID."

Today’s update. BA 5.1 to watch. Scientists on Twitter 💕

Why are ppl scared to call it what it is and say we’re still going thru covid on top of seasonal illness. Like. That’s pretty important right. I was watching the news and they were like oh yeah we have an unprecedented number of flu cases “as well as other sicknesses” without actually saying Covid. No announcement abt vaccinations or masking or anything. Also if I hear someone joking abt “war flashbacks” for mentioning covid I fucking hate u

https://twitter.com/coffeeteanxiety/status/1736750299551826127 I’ll stop masking when the world’s leading researchers on Long C0vid do. Prof. Akiko Iwasaki: "I'm still wearing my 😷 everywhere." Michael Peluso, MD: "I'm very strict, actually, about 😷." Ziyad Ai-Aly, MD: "Yes, primarily because of Long C0vid. I don't want Long C0vid."

+

https://twitter.com/sri_srikrishna/status/1736460422499459115 Full of DEEP INSIGHTS ABOUT LONG COVID. At 1:01:15, panelists were asked if they continue to be covid-cautious by wearing masks 😷(even though many at infectious disease conferences no longer do), all three nodded yes with a smile 😃 and they MASK TO AVOID LONG COVID

Scientist Dr. Kevin Corbett on the simulated virus called Covid. 🤔

At the centre of Rosalind Franklin’s tombstone in London’s Willesden Jewish Cemetery is the word “scientist”. This is followed by the inscription, “Her research and discoveries on viruses remain of lasting benefit to mankind.” As one of the twentieth century’s pre-eminent scientists, Franklin’s work has benefited all of humanity. The one-hundredth anniversary of her birth this month is prompting much reflection on her career and research contributions, not least Franklin’s catalytic role in unravelling the structure of DNA.

. . .

But Franklin’s remarkable work on DNA amounts to a fraction of her record and legacy. She was a tireless investigator of nature’s secrets, and worked across biology, chemistry and physics, with a focus on research that mattered to society. She made important advances in the science of coal and carbon, and she became an expert in the study of viruses that cause plant and human diseases. In essence, it is because of Franklin, her collaborators and successors, that today’s researchers are able to use tools such as DNA sequencing and X-ray crystallography to investigate viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.

. . .

Franklin was an inveterate traveller on the global conference circuit and a collaborator with international partners. She won a rare grant (with Klug) from the US National Institutes of Health. She was a global connector in the booming early days of research into virus structures: an expert in pathogenic viruses who had gained an international reputation and cared deeply about putting her research to use. It is a travesty that Franklin is mostly remembered for not receiving full credit for her contributions to the discovery of DNA’s structure. That part of Franklin’s life story must never be forgotten, but she was so much more than the “wronged heroine”, and it’s time to recognize her for the full breadth and depth of her research career.

Humans are very much a social species. We look to each other without even always noticing, for cues about how to interpret the world around us.

Unfortunately this often leads to people thinking stuff just isn't that serious because if it were, the people around me would be taking it seriously!

But the people around you do not always have the best view of the situation, and they can be wrong.

Some things you have to decide for yourself whether they're worth being concerned about, or worth acting on.